Fair Game Conference 2026: Key Insights

Last week, members from DLA Piper's Media, Sports and Entertainment sector group were delighted to attend the Fair Game Conference at the National Football Museum in Manchester. Stakeholders within football joined together to reflect on the fundamentals of the game and look ahead to the future. The broad range of voices, including clubs, players, Government and supporters' trusts, amongst others, created a forum for discussion on the social, governance and regulatory challenges facing football today.

We provide key insights from the event below.

 

Governance and the Independent Football Regulator

Speakers were optimistic about the Football Governance Act 2025 (FGA 2025), which established a new statutory framework for the governance of English men's football and introduced an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to oversee the top 116 football clubs.

Financial stability and good governance are paramount to the long-term sustainability of football. Delegates highlighted the IFR's various new powers, particularly in relation to club owners and financial stability. The first State of the Game report – which is expected in draft form in Autumn 2026 – will provide further detail as to the issues that the IFR will seek to regulate.

Fans and the IFR agree that part of good governance is ensuring clubs effectively engage with their fanbases (and this is now required under the FGA 2025). Better integration into local communities and maximising resources builds more resilient and inclusive clubs with an engaged and sustainable fanbase. The impact that football clubs have on local communities cannot be underestimated: some delegates argued clubs should be awarded for good governance off the pitch as well as good results on the pitch, to reflect the broader importance of the game for economic growth and community cohesion.

 

Finance

Funding sources and club ownership structures can be intricate, reflecting the scale and ambition of the modern game. Speakers highlighted the growing momentum behind improving transparency, recognising that clearer information creates confidence and resilience across all levels of football. There was strong support for robust checks and balances that encourage responsible ownership, long‑term commitment, and decision‑making that prioritises the best interests of the sport and its communities.

Considerable attention is also being given to how revenue can be shared more effectively across the football pyramid. Speakers welcomed evidence‑led proposals that would enable a fairer and more sustainable distribution of resources, including mechanisms that recognise and reward clubs investing in successful youth development. These ideas were presented as a constructive pathway towards long‑term stability, helping to safeguard clubs, protect local communities, and ensure that financial reform remains a positive and collaborative priority for all stakeholders.

 

Tackling social issues

Social issues including sexism, racism, transphobia and homophobia are all experienced not only on the pitch, but via online platforms. Delegates were in agreement that more needs to be done to tackle these harms against footballers, fans and referees. There was clear consensus that meaningful progress can be achieved through collective action, including openly challenging harmful behaviour, strengthening regulatory responses and ensuring accountability through appropriate sanctions such as stadium bans, and educating younger generations, with serious calls for these social issues to be integrated into school curriculums. Day 1 of the conference closed with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football's hearing into online harms, which provided a sobering reminder of the challenges posed by abusive behaviour, and a call-to-action for all stakeholders to take meaningful action to safeguard those at risk, and to eradicate permissive cultures at their source.

 

Sportswashing

As foreign investment in domestic sports grows, there is increasing opportunity for clubs and stakeholders to demonstrate leadership in addressing human rights risks. Politicians, fans and civil society have put a spotlight on these issues, underlining the necessity of good human rights due diligence for sponsors, funders, owners and managers to identify and mitigate human rights risks throughout the sporting supply chain.

The Fair Game Conference 2026 provided a fantastic opportunity for various stakeholders across the game of football to discuss the key issues facing the game.

For more information on the issues raised in this article, please contact the authors: Charlotte Lewis-Williams, Cai Cherry, Anna Livesey and Molly Chapman.